Animal Shelter Manager
Salary

Animal Shelter Managers in the United States may have to scrimp and save; the median compensation is $38K annually. Pay generally varies between $22K and $56K per year. The majority of Animal Shelter Managers claim high levels of job satisfaction. Nearly two in five of professionals in this line of work do not receive benefits; however, a majority report medical coverage and about two-fifths claim dental coverage as well. Female Animal Shelter Managers make up most of the survey respondents at 78 percent.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Animal Shelter Manager

Generally, animal shelter managers work an above-average number of hours per week due to the job's intense nature and the urgent care required for many animals. This can mean some managers will need to be on-call during "unsocial hours" should emergency situations arise.

The job's main duty focuses on managing a small team of staff which assesses incoming animals and creates plans to bring them back to health. Work also includes typical managerial tasks such as scheduling rotas, dealing with staff competency, and hiring and firing team members.

There are times when managers will need to be very hands-on with animals, especially in unusual and emergency situations. This can include administering medicines, addressing wounds, and cleaning up "accidents." An animal shelter manager must have a good overview of animal care and specialized knowledge of at least two common household pets, such as cats or dogs.

The typical animal shelter has both indoor and outdoor sections, so animal shelter managers should be able to work in both. However, most of the work will be within an office. Those in this position report to the city's animal care and control centers and provide electronic and verbal reports regarding cases, budget requirements, and facility maintenance.

While it is possible to work up from a volunteer at a shelter to a managerial position, many shelters require their manager to have at least a Bachelor's degree in a field such as Animal Studies, Public Administration or Veterinary Science. As these positions are fairly rare, most shelters will be looking for at least three years of managerial experience, as well as good decision-making skills and proven report-writing experience.

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Pay by Experience Level for Animal Shelter Manager

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

The average inexperienced worker's salary is approximately $34K, and people with five to 10 years of experience bring in more at around $36K on average. For Animal Shelter Managers, 10 to 20 years of experience on the job amounts to an average salary of $44K. People who have worked for 20 years or more actually report earning less than people who are in the middle of their careers; the veterans take home a mere $30K by contrast.